Semiconductor devices, such as, for example, complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices are continuously being scaled down to smaller dimensions. As components are scaled down and devices are being formed closer together, improved processing for forming tight pitch structures are needed. Self-aligned multiple-patterning (SAMP), including, but not necessarily limited to, self-aligned double patterning (SADP), self-aligned quadruple patterning (SAQP) and self-aligned octuple patterning (SAOP), has been widely used to form tight pitch structures.
However, when using these SAMP techniques, it is difficult to achieve precisely formed lines in a tight pitch structure without compromising the structure and/or integrity of adjacent lines.